What made it for me was the backstage linkage segments. What garage sale did Eddie get his suit from? Eddie just delivers absolute gold and Flair is a perfect foil. Batistas backstage work was excellent as well. ''did you see me on RAW last week Carlito'' He is on!!! Christian and Cena rap was a laugh and sets a small feud there. Eugene Gump... Run Eugene Run HHH and Batista delivered more tension.Oh and I am going no where near Snitsky and Hypenreichs segment

HBK V Edge ok match with a cheap rollup continues the feud but how d they then work Angle in as well?

Undertaker v Hypenreich... nice way to spend 12 minutes

JBL v Big Show V Angle ..just shows JBL can take a bump or 3 and that Angles time in the ring is getting shorter and shorter IMO

HHH V Orton .. nice match and leaves a small opening for Orton ''I was concussed'' Though i knew Orton wasnt going to win when he didnt cover properly.

Rumble... wow what a great start and a different ending.

Eddie and Benoit total respect for those 2. Puder welcome to the WWE.. I was waiting for Hardcore to anally rape Puder when he had him on the top rope but we will leave that to Snitsky and Hypenreich. I saw Hassan being ganged up 20 seconds before it happened and gives Hassan a bit more to work with in the coming months. Kurt as the surprise? Sets up HBK and Angle at WM21 in an inter-promotional match.The roar Batista got shows he is over big time. Rey Mysteriou being in the last 4 was great for him and the ending apparently wasnt scripted but done on the fly due to momentum carrying both out. VKM took a solid bump off the mat and has either an ankle or a knee problem. The second finish confirms the mistake made but in 30 seconds? Oh and London took the best elimination of the night ..nasty nasty nasty.

Overall a great show and while some matches werent as good as they could have been I am happy I spent the dollars and look forward to Monday Night RAW which we will see Wednesday.

(edited by PerthHeat on 31.1.05 1233)if you cant stand the heat...buy icecream

Even with the cheap victory, this was the kind of match Edge needed to get ahead. Michaels sold like a pro, and more importantly, Edge looked intelligent in there. I don't know where this puts Edge now for Mania -- perhaps a face version of Christian?

The Undertaker vs Heidenreich

Ugh. At least they kept it short, I guess. But Taker was just hideous in there, blowing several spots. Don't even put the blame on Heidenreich for this. It's just time for Taker to retire already. The Kane-SHNITSKY stuff everyone saw a mile away, so there's no point in acting shocked. Live Audio Wrestling's Dan Lovranski put it best tonight when he said "At least this puts these four in the same match at WrestleMania, instead of screwing up other people's matches."

JBL vs Kurt Angle vs Big Show

Not as bad as it could have been, this one was kept brief as well. Bradshaw actually looked decent in there, especially with the final clothesline on Angle.

Triple H vs Randy Orton

Orton looked goofy in there by the end -- moreso than normal. Perhaps this will end once and for all the notion that this guy should be main-eventing ANYTHING, though I suspect I'm wrong. It wasn't a terrible match or anything, but I do think it went on a bit long....

Royal Rumble

So much to say here. I picked Guerrero and Benoit to start (well, just before the PPV started) and was not let down. Paul London took the bump of the night, and if that doesn't give him some more attention, I don't know what will. Bischoff and Long coming down to ringside was a nice, understated touch. The Hassan spot was really the only one that rubbed me the wrong way. I understand he is a hated heel, but by having faces and heels from opposing brands gang up on him is just WRONG. If he was playing a terrorist character, fine, but he's not. I can't tell you how much that bugged me. Mysterio was probably the standout of the night, making terrific mini-matches with everyone in the bout. Edge was great too. I wasn't thrilled with the Batista-Cena finish (although McMahon injuring himself on his way to the ring was priceless), because I had predicted Cena winning, and honestly, I think Cena needed the win more here. But that said, it was a terrific match with very little to complain about.

I should also point out somewhere here that ALL of the backstage vignettes were just top-notch. Flair and Guerrero, Christian and Cena, Evolution, the Eugene WrestleMania promo. Well done!

Overall, a tremendous event that, once again, lived up to his hype. I only went 3 for 5 in my predictions.

You all ARE NOT giving the Casket Match the written beating it deserves. I'll give Taker credit for trying, but John Heidenreich has got to be worse than Nathan Jones. Seriously, John did not do ONE MOVE correctly. He didn't sell, he didn't get up for the chokeslam, and he didn't do well on offense. If I were Taker, I would have been pissed as well.

I also disagree with Omega about the crowd during Batista and Cena. The crowd clearly sided with Batista. Cena got some cheers, but he did not get more pops than Batista. It just sucked that there was not more time to give the restarted Rumble (and thank God/Vince that they didn't end the night with dual champions again).

Overall, the matches (excluding the Casket debacle) were better than last year. The Rumble match itself was slightly worse than last year's Rumble, so I think that RR 2005 was just as good as RR 2004.

(edited by Torchslasher on 30.1.05 2142)WADSWORTH: The games up, Scarlet. There are no more bullets left in that gun.SCARLET: Oh, come on, you don't think I'm gonna fall for that old trick?WADSWORTH: It's not a trick. There was one shot at Mr. Boddy in the study. Two for the chandelier, two at the lounge door, and one for the singing telegram.SCARLET:That's not six.WADSWORTH: One plus two plus two plus one.SCARLET:Nuh, uh. There was only one shot that got the chandelier. That's one plus two plus ONE plus one.WADSWORTH: Even if you are right, that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not one plus TWO plus one plus one.SCARLET:(thinking) Okay, fine.One plus two plus one--(angered) Shut up!

Originally posted by TorchslasherOverall, the matches (excluding the Casket debacle) were better than last year. The Rumble match itself was slightly worse than last year's Rumble, so I think that RR 2005 was just as good as RR 2004.

(edited by Torchslasher on 30.1.05 2142)

The 2004 Rumble told a much better story. It was a longer, better match with a brilliant finish. While the 2005 Rumble was good and entertaining, it was no where near the level of last year's. And the finish was fricking lame ass.

Poor, poor Vince, I nearly cringed seeing the old guy pulling a near Kevin Nash skit on us. Not too pretty.

Speaking of which, not too pretty describes Royal Rumble planting seeds for the upcoming Wrestlemania. Oh sure, we got the two expected title matches, a Taker/Kane team-up (maybe), and perhaps Angle vs. HBK, but where does that leave everybody else?

Edge BEAT HBK, and was pretty much one of the biggest stars in the Rumble, and yet I can't help but feel he's not going to get anything. And yet HBK seems rumored of going at least SOMEWHERE.

Eddie's been bested by Rey Mysterio the last while, and aside from that, nothing's up? Jericho and Benoit were teaming up, then fighting each other, and then nothing happened? Where will all these guys go? What about Christian? Mysterio? Big Show after No Way Out? Are there seeds planted for any of these guys? Hassan got beaten by everybody in the Rumble and yet where to next? Scotty 2 Hotty? Who?

The show was fine, and the matches, save for maybe Taker/Heidenreich and the last few minutes of HHH/Orton, were done pretty well, but...

Originally posted by AMG2K2Speaking of which, not too pretty describes Royal Rumble planting seeds for the upcoming Wrestlemania. Oh sure, we got the two expected title matches, a Taker/Kane team-up (maybe), and perhaps Angle vs. HBK, but where does that leave everybody else?

Originally posted by Mr TuesdayThe only thing that made me scratch my head was this. Flair and Eddie were the first two to draw their numbers, and they pick 1 and 30 respectivly? That's almost into impossible odds there.

Well, it's 1 out of 870 that the first person will pick specifically #1 and the second person will pick specifically #30, which is the exact same odds that the first person will pick specifically #7 and the second person will pick specifically #22. Since each possible combination has almost impossible odds, we can round that to approximately a 0% chance of any given combination being picked. Summing that up over the entire universe of possible combinations, 0%+0%+0%..., then the odds of Flair and Guerrero picking any numbers at all is zero and it is a goddamn miracle they were even in the match.

Originally posted by Mr TuesdayThe only thing that made me scratch my head was this. Flair and Eddie were the first two to draw their numbers, and they pick 1 and 30 respectivly? That's almost into impossible odds there.

Well, it's 1 out of 870 that the first person will pick specifically #1 and the second person will pick specifically #30, which is the exact same odds that the first person will pick specifically #7 and the second person will pick specifically #22. Since each possible combination has almost impossible odds, we can round that to approximately a 0% chance of any given combination being picked. Summing that up over the entire universe of possible combinations, 0%+0%+0%..., then the odds of Flair and Guerrero picking any numbers at all is zero and it is a goddamn miracle they were even in the match.

Also, this is professional wrestling we're talking about.

Well, Flair picked first. 1 out of a possible 30 numbers, each with even odds. Guerrero picked second, 1 out of the remaining 29 with each even odds. Personally, I'd like to know how they decided WHICH guys chose in what order.

DVDs; Blog~New Our Lady Peace album (either called "Vampires" or "An Unusual Amount of Common Sense") this March~

Originally posted by Mr TuesdayThe only thing that made me scratch my head was this. Flair and Eddie were the first two to draw their numbers, and they pick 1 and 30 respectivly? That's almost into impossible odds there.

Same with Ax and Smash picking # 1 and # 2 in 1989, or several scenarios that have shown up over the years. I don't they were going for logic here...

I have to give some respect to Rey Mysterio. In a Rumble-style matchup, the guy is at a natural disadvantage due to his size and lack of leverage. Yet there he was, eliminating a couple of people, and he lasted a long time in the matchup, making it all the way to the final four.

Originally posted by The GoonAnything can happen with a random draw...

I have to give some respect to Rey Mysterio. In a Rumble-style matchup, the guy is at a natural disadvantage due to his size and lack of leverage. Yet there he was, eliminating a couple of people, and he lasted a long time in the matchup, making it all the way to the final four.

They're probably setting him up for the US title, and I think his potential matches against Booker, Carlito, London, and, of course, RUDO EDDY will be great fun.

But what I'm really looking forward to as WM approaches are the (presumably) revamped Dudley Boyz. I'm thinking new music, new outfits and a table buffet as the June PPV nears.

(edited by Matt Tracker on 31.1.05 0632)"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker

Originally posted by AMG2K2Speaking of which, not too pretty describes Royal Rumble planting seeds for the upcoming Wrestlemania. Oh sure, we got the two expected title matches, a Taker/Kane team-up (maybe), and perhaps Angle vs. HBK, but where does that leave everybody else?

Originally posted by AMG2K2Speaking of which, not too pretty describes Royal Rumble planting seeds for the upcoming Wrestlemania. Oh sure, we got the two expected title matches, a Taker/Kane team-up (maybe), and perhaps Angle vs. HBK, but where does that leave everybody else?

Cena vs. JBL - Cena can play the replay card to show that Batista's feet actually did hit first by a fraction of a second, which sets up him for his WrestleMania slot.

Taker/Kane vs. Heidenreich/Snitsky - The Tag Match From Hell

Angle vs. HBK - After last night, I don't think there's any explaination for this one.

Batista vs. HHH - Orton should not be involved here because last year was also a triple threat main event and because he just lost his chance. No rematch for him. Of course, Orton is my absolute least favorite guy on RAW, so if he were to just disappear, I'd have no problem with that. However, you know he's gonna have something to do at WrestleMania, so I'll just throw him....

Orton vs. Edge #1 contenders match for Backlash - I don't see any other way to get both these guys on the card right now, so we'll put them in this match to see who gets a match at Backlash for the title, which Edge wins.

Eddie vs. Booker T - These guys have had a nice partnership but with a hint of dissention between them. They had nice interaction in the Rumble with Rey and Eddie eliminating Booker, which could plant the seeds for another Booker heel turn, but I like both guys kind of being tweeners. I was going to say a three way with Rey involved as well but can't think of anything else for Booker and I have Rey in....

Rey Misterio vs. Orlando Jordan for the US Title - Orlando wins the US Title from Cena to build up to the JBL/Cena match. Rey wins a #1 contenders match leading into WM where he takes the title.

Big Show/Joy vs. Bashams/Amy - I dunno. Needed something for Big Show to do and I don't see him just dropping out of the feud with JBL's cabinet after their match at NWO. Why not throw in the girls to make it "interesting"

Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho - Like above, these guys have been sort of teaming up lately, but I see someone eventually snapping on the other. I'd say Benoit turns using the fact that he's been lost in the card since losing the title and he's tired of Jericho holding him down....or something like that.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Hassan for the IC title - I don't see them not putting Hassan on the WM card, and the IC title needs to be defended. I'll also say Hassan wins the title here

Cruiserweight Open Invitational Battle Royal

Regal/Tajiri vs. La Resistance for the Tag Titles

Heat Match - Trish vs. Victoria for the Women's Title. Sad how fall the Women's Division has fallen in a year

And try as I might, but I find nothing for Christian to be doing come WrestleMania. Other than him, however, I think most major players on both shows end up on the my WM card, unless I'm overlooking somebody else.

EDIT: Forgot about Edge, so I changed that one match. I don't know what else Edge could do at WM. ??

Originally posted by MonteCarlAnd try as I might, but I find nothing for Christian to be doing come WrestleMania. Other than him, however, I think most major players on both shows end up on the my WM card, unless I'm overlooking somebody else.

Originally posted by Mr TuesdayThe only thing that made me scratch my head was this. Flair and Eddie were the first two to draw their numbers, and they pick 1 and 30 respectivly? That's almost into impossible odds there.

Well, it's 1 out of 870 that the first person will pick specifically #1 and the second person will pick specifically #30, which is the exact same odds that the first person will pick specifically #7 and the second person will pick specifically #22. Since each possible combination has almost impossible odds, we can round that to approximately a 0% chance of any given combination being picked. Summing that up over the entire universe of possible combinations, 0%+0%+0%..., then the odds of Flair and Guerrero picking any numbers at all is zero and it is a goddamn miracle they were even in the match.

Also, this is professional wrestling we're talking about.

Well, Flair picked first. 1 out of a possible 30 numbers, each with even odds. Guerrero picked second, 1 out of the remaining 29 with each even odds. Personally, I'd like to know how they decided WHICH guys chose in what order.

What I’m more impressed by is that HHH said that he wanted Flair in the Rumble at #30 as insurance. And sure enough: when it came time to draw numbers at random, Flair was #30!

Nah, Mordecai is out of the same mold as Fake UT/Gonzalas/Mankind/Exocutioner/Kamala/Papa Shango/Kane, he's coming in to feud with Undertaker if he can do anything after the feud well then that's just a bonus.